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HTC: KitKat for HTC One Google Play edition is now in Google’s hands, rollout expected soon

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HTC One Google Edition vs Sense

Back when Google officially took the wraps off the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat, HTC wasted no time in letting their customers know exactly when they should expect the latest update to hit their flagship HTC One devices. Along with update timing on unlocked and carrier models, HTC promised KitKat would be hitting the HTC One Google Play edition before all the others — within 15 days to be exact. If you’ve been watching your calendar closely (like we have), you’d know that an announcement was imminent.

Today, HTC took to Twitter to once again chime in on their update plans, letting everyone know that their stock version of Android 4.4 KitKat has officially been sent off to Google, where it’s currently waiting to be pushed out to the HTC One GPe. Exact timing is yet to be determined, but owners of the HTC One Google Play edition can rest a little easier knowing it’s now in Google’s hands.

[Twitter]

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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58 Comments

  1. At this rate it will probably be available OTA for these devices before it is for the N4

    1. The Android ecosystem is such a strange little world…

    2. Google may delay the One’s release to either release the N4’s before or with it. Only time will tell.

      1. I agree. But considering the factory images were posted yesterday, I’m hoping for an update within this weekend.

        1. I hope the update comes soon enough! My Nexus 4 wantz it!!!

          1. I’m just going to update it by the factory images. I’m tired of waiting. Lol

          2. Yah. I think I’m gonna go the same route here..

      2. That might be part of the reason why HTC announced it – to force Google’s hand into releasing it. At least, that’s my hopeful side is telling me. As one who has One GPe, I’ve been hitting the Software Update button a billion times a day for the past week, hoping it would be there.

  2. Woohoo!!!

    1. Thought you’d like that, Ben. :)

      1. I’m pumped! I keep checking for updates and once someone gets one I’m going to begin the process of clearing the data for Google Services Framework etc.

  3. I know this is a GPE phone, but HTC has come a LONG way in regards to updating their phones in the last year. They’ve already said 4.4 will be on the standard One within 90 days, which is awesome for a skinned phone. I don’t think Samsung has even commented on 4.4 yet and they’re usually the faster ones to update their phones.

    1. too bad it’ll never see sense 6… but I agree completely, they’ve gotten much better with updates

      1. Why not? Didn’t the One X get sense 5?

        1. oh wow. this is news to me. that’s pretty cool on htcs part :D unlike how they left my HTC sensation on sense 3.6 thanks for correcting me

    2. chances are it’s due to Samsung being too big to make a move like this. just look at millions of galaxy variations there are out there

      1. Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Toaster Oven

  4. If the One or Galaxy get it before the N4 i’m going to be upset X-|

  5. Can’t wait for 4.4 so I can convert my one

    1. As soon as I saw the GPe mod with OTA updates was available, I instantly switched over. I must have been one of the few that hated Sense. I love the phone but I really, REALLY hated the skin HTC put on it.

      1. I actually like Sense a lot, however, I did convert mine to GPe. I prefer stock Android even if I lose a few bells and whistles.

        1. Im waiting for 4.4 to do that…..if I dont get a lg g2 instead lol

        2. I did the same. I actually really liked Sense 5 for the most part, but still prefer stock Android even if I lose out a little on camera features. Can’t wait to get the 4.4 OTA update!

          1. I just downloaded the GPE launcher on the ONE, it eliminates Blink Feed and combined with the updated Google search it turns on active listening, so you can say “ok google” from the home screen.

  6. If the GPE is soon going to get it, then the carrier models should get it soon thereafter.

    1. You must be new. Carrier updates tend to take around 14 years to get the update to the phone. By the time 4.4 hits a carrier phone, Android M&M will have been released.

      1. I think HTC said 90 days actually.

        1. If you flash custom ROM images, you’ll have it within 30.

          1. I want a stable Os on my phone, not some nightly build that might brick my phone. Its worth the wait.

          2. HA! gOoD oNe!

            Let’s not be daft. When the official HTC developer edition is updated to KitKat (i.e. not ‘some nightly build’) with 30 days, you can flash the stock image (which won’t ‘brick your phone’) to a carrier branded phone, which I assumed you have.

            It’s going to be very much the same firmware that’ll be released in the 90 day window except you won’t have carrier bloat.

            Worth the 90-day wait? Good joke.

          3. Hmmm, id only attempt to flash a stock image if that stock image got the OTA updates as quick as a Nexus or GPE phone.

          4. Hahaha, do you have MPD or something? I swear I heard you saying 90 days was worth waiting for, and now you’re talking about quick updates.

            Sorry if I sound rude, but it’s quite amusing.

          5. Well if the stock GPE image could trick T-Mobiles network into sending down the OTA of a stock GPE 4.4 update that would be the only way i would do it. If not ill wait for the official update to come down. 90 days, less now, is not long to wait. I thought my comment was clear in that when i said “id ONLY attempt to flash a stock image IF”

          6. … First you talk about happily waiting 90 days for the Sense US carrier update and now you’re talking about the OTA-ing a GPE update?

            Why does the GPE edition even matter? It is almost completely unrelated. It will be released worldwide (read: everywhere) in a few days.

            I’m talking about installing the image of the **Sense** KitKat update (read: the exact same thing released by carriers 60 days later for god knows why) when it is released in 30 days.

      2. Lmfao !!! I’m literally fell off my bed laughing at the 14 year remark lmao. And the sad part is that you’re correct . Hahah

        1. He’s correct ? Which phone took 14 years to update ? I bet you’re 14.

          1. Good lord, lighten up. Have you never heard of hyperbole?

          2. Should have had a wink face or an LOL after it and it would have been more obvious. You’d be surprised what some people believe on these sites, lol.

      3. Im going based on how fast the phone im holding in my hand got the 4.3 update. Im not new but you must be, especially if you missed how timely HTC was on the most recent update. Must be 24 idiots that upvoted you. 14 years ? The only thing that takes 14 years is you graduating from High School.

        1. To be fair, the 4.3 rollout between the GPE and Sense version of the HTC One was still a significant gap. Here was the timeline:

          Nexus 4 – 07/25/2013
          GPE (S4 and One) – 08/02/2013 (8 days later)
          Sense HTC One – The earliest model updates that I could find was early October for unlocked models, about 9 weeks (at the earliest) after the GPE models. Carrier models were end of October to early November.

          HTC’s timeline for the 4.4 update was announced as 15 days for the GPE, up to 30 days for the unlocked Sense models, and up to 90 days for the carrier models. Their rough estimates translated to:

          GPE – 11/15/13
          Unlocked – 11/30/13
          Carrier – 01/30/14

          So I guess it depends on your definition of “soon.” Regardless, I am very impressed with how HTC is attacking this.

          1. The US models were said to be updated by the end of October. I got my update on October 21 on T-Mobile. From the time it was announced till i received it was approximately a month. It was on time, it was only delayed by the carriers. But the update came when HTC said it would to the carriers. Great timeline, but anything that doesnt involve when the carriers update the phones is irrelevant in this conversation.

          2. I wasn’t contradicting you, only adding to what you said. Still, you feel some need to “defend” your point as if you had been attacked, and then downvote the only reply that didn’t attack you. So, I’ll clarify.

            In your response, you made two points. They are:

            1) That the US models were updated by end of October and that you got yours on 10/21.

            And? I stated as much in my post. So where is the disagreement? You originally stated that HTC putting out Kitkat for the GPE indicated that the 4.4 release for your model would be “soon.” I simply clarified that the gap between 4.3 on the GPE and carrier models was roughly 3 months, and that by HTC’s admission, this would happen with 4.4 as well. So, “soon” depends on your definition, but for now, “soon” will be roughly 3 months.

            2)”but anything that doesnt involve when the carriers update the phones is irrelevant in this conversation.”

            My post, as mentioned before, highlighted the carrier release schedule for both the 4.3 update (for comparison purposes), and the 4.4 update.

          3. I understood what your post was about but you gave a timeline that was irrelevant to what i was talking about. I took back the downvote and made it an upvote. 90 days is “soon” compared to what it has been in the past. Of course the GPE versions will get it first, thats the benefit of the GPE. In some ways i wish i would have got that version. I didnt see anyone attack me, lol. No hard feelings dude, it was a good, detailed timeline.

          4. Did you downvote me again ? After i took back my downvote ?

  7. im guessing next wednesday nexus 4, nexus 7 lte, and gpe versions will get updated to kitkat

  8. Congrats Htc. They really seem to be on top of keeping their phones updated now quickly. My nexus 7 2013 still hasn’t received KitKat.

    1. I manually flashed my wife’s saturday. It broke the Amazon store app on it. They haven’t updated to support 4.4 yet.

  9. Meanwhile, still no word on when Nexus devices are getting KitKat.

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    2. Huh? My nexus 7 got it two days ago.
      And Google already made an announcement too https://phandroid.com/2013/11/12/nexus-ota-android-44-kitkat/
      Where have you been? Its a staged rollout so not everyone gets it right away. I just kept clearing data on Google services framework and then checking for an update and got the update after about the 8th time

      1. Wifi only tablets got it. Meanwhile the N4 is still left in the dark.

        1. N4 Factory images have been release. Why don’t you get off your lazy ass and try to flash it if you want it so bad?

          Here let me make it more easy for you, direct link for the factory images below.

          https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images

  10. Lets get my Nexus 4 updated first.

  11. So I take tap and pay will work with htc one….

    1. YES!!! Finally! 4.4 means tap and pays works despite carrier!

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